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- The latest data shows that the new Covid-19 variant from South Africa has been found in nearly 80% of samples from coronavirus hot spots in South Africa.
- For the first time, the new variant also dominates in samples from KwaZulu-Natal, which now has the most active cases in the country.
- SA’s lead genomic scientist says this is concerning and that the new variant is now clearly driving the rise of Covid in SA.
- For more articles, go to www.BusinessInsider.co.za.
During the past week, new data confirmed that the Covid-19 variant from South Africa now also dominates genetic samples from KwaZulu-Natal, says Professor Tulio de Oliveira, director of the KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP). ). KRISP coordinates the nationwide analysis of genetic samples of the virus.
“This is concerning,” he told Business Insider SA, noting that the province now has the most active cases (more than 46,700) in the country.
READ | Covid variant of SA: how much more transmissible it can be and what it could mean for vaccines
“We risk that the South African variant is similar to that of the United Kingdom, which can be 40% to 70% more transmissible than the original virus,” said De Oliveira.
He says the new variant is now clearly driving the current rise of the coronavirus in South Africa, warning that the healthcare system is already close to breaking point. If urgent action is not taken, hospitals will be overwhelmed, he added.
Earlier this month, KRISP confirmed the emergence of a new variant, called 501.V2, which has 20 new mutations, eight of them in the virus’s main protein, the spike protein.
The scientists found that the new variant likely arose from Nelson Mandela Bay, then spread across the Eastern Cape, onto the Garden Route, and KwaZulu-Natal.
The latest KRISP analysis of virus genomes from these areas found that the new variant was present in 79% of the samples. For the first time, he also dominates in KZN.
While Gauteng has not released genomic sequencing data, De Oliveira expects the new variant to dominate samples there as well by the first week of January.
The new variant shares a key mutation with a new variant in the UK, the 501Y mutation, which has spread to several countries around the world.
But the South African variant has two mutations that are not present in the UK variant, which could interfere with antibody production and could have consequences for the efficacy of the vaccine.
Cases of the South African variant have also been identified in the UK, which forced that country to ban air travel from South Africa. In Switzerland another case of the South African variant has also been confirmed, says De Oliveira.
“The UK variant, dominating infection in London, [the 501Y.V1 (or B.1.1.7)] It has already been found in more than 15 countries, suggesting that this will initially be the most widespread 501Y variant in the world, as London is much more connected to the world than South Africa, “he added.
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